Legacy Financial Advisors

Unfortunately, many people are not prepared for today’s financial challenges in retirement. It is not entirely their fault. Schools do not do a good job of teaching financial literacy. The media is full of conflicting and biased information. Natural human tendencies, such as greed and the fear of missing the next best thing, lead to poor decision-making. The good news is there is hope. Even better, the odds of success are great if we make educated decisions and have a strong plan. We do not need the next hot stock or computer program; there is no magic wand. What we need is a strong plan based on math and science. Then, we need the fortitude to stick to it and ignore the background distractions. I have always believed in holistic retirement planning. While many people want to manage your money, most won’t help with anything else. They think your financial life is a short story. Sometimes it becomes a tragedy. Many are not allowed to discuss, or maybe worse do not understand; Social Security, Medicare, taxation, long-term care, or the many other money issues that affect people’s financial lives in retirement. Remember, it is not just what you earn—it is much more important how much you keep. All of the parts must work together. Surprisingly, many so-called advisors are only licensed to offer limited solutions. Even worse, the product options are often limited by their company structure. They may not be allowed to tell you about certain options, even if they believe their option is not best. No company has the best answer for every problem. Make sure the people you work with have a full toolbox—not just a Swiss Army knife or duct tape Army knife or duct tape they try to use for every possible problem. Most important, make sure you are working with an advisor who has obtained professional designations that require the holders of those designations to follow a code of ethics that demand they must do what is in your best interest, not theirs.